Jack

The drive to Kingswood was long and bumpy. My mom was nervous behind the steering wheel, but trying not to show it.

She was also picking her nails again, which always drove my dad crazy.

“Lilly, please. You’re destroying your hands,” my dad said, and I looked up from my book in the back seat.

“I’m sorry, Jarom,” she said back, placing her hands firmly on the steering wheel and looking back at me in the rearview mirror. “Sorry to you, too, honey.”

I shrugged in response, pushing my new glasses against the bridge of my nose. “It doesn’t bother me, just Dad,” I said, then returned to the fantasy novel in my hands.

Escapism was my best coping skill when my mom was a nervous wreck.

“Jack, don’t make me the bad guy here,” my dad joked, but I ignored him. I wanted to engage as little as possible to hide my nerves; senior year was looming over my head.

My dad was insistent upon conversation, though. “You excited, bud? I’m sure you’re going to make loads of friends this year. Those specs make you look sharp.”

The taunts and teases from the past years rushed into my head. My glasses had been the target of all my nicknames from freshman year on: four eyes, binocular boy, bug brain, you name it. I’d begged my mom for contacts, but she told me with my prescription, it would be too expensive.

Instead, they’d invested in a new pair of glasses for me after my old ones were smashed “accidentally” in my dorm room. I’d been excited to get a room for myself this year, but they sent out an email midsummer telling us that half of the senior dorms were under construction, so seniors would have to share dorms all in one building like the other years did.

Roommate or not, I had big plans this year, and a goal to make my family’s company rise from the ashes the Terry Corporation had left them in.

The Terrys had originally helped finance our app, which helped people with disabilities. With their financial input, we’d been able to make huge strides in our programming and communications.

My parents were diligent people, so the creation of the app and its features had been taking a bit longer than the original plan, but the Terry family was impatient and relentless, wanting quick and easy money. After asking for a second extension in development to make sure the app was one hundred percent accessible, the Terrys had pulled out all of their stocks, not wanting to wait any longer for results.

We’d been left with next to nothing. They’d known exactly what they were doing when they pulled out at the last second, leaving us in the dust. Rumor had it that they’d made a habit of luring in small businesses, promising to fund and promote them, then pulling out once they were no longer interested.

Since we’d been struggling, I planned to major in business management once I went to college. This prestigious boarding school, Kingswood Academy, was setting me up for success, since it filtered directly into the neighboring Kingswood College.

I wasn’t going to let my parents down like the Terrys did.

“Maybe my new roommate won’t notice my glasses at all,” I said, shooting my dad a knowing look and flipping a page. My parents only knew a fraction of the bullying I’d endured; I tried not to worry them.

The boarding school had its own hierarchy, where the richest kids sat up high and people like me swam around the bottom. If I had to crawl my way to the top, though, I would. I was going to take as many credits as possible to learn as much as I could.

“Who knows, honey? You might click with someone right away!” my mom answered. She took a wild right turn, causing my dad to grip the door handle dramatically.

“Lillian! Please!” Dad shouted, and I laughed hysterically.

My mom shot me a wink, knowing a change of pace was necessary for my nerves.

For the rest of the ride, I engulfed myself in the world of wizards and dragons, finishing a chapter once we pulled up to the school grounds.

“Alright, bud, we’re here. Try not to miss us too much,” Dad joked when we got out, hugging me quick and tight before letting me go.

“I’ll do my best,” I responded.

My mom then pulled me into her warm embrace, her sweet perfume settling onto me and blonde curls covering my face. I closed my eyes, remembering when I’d stolen that same perfume in middle school because I liked it so much.

“Don’t forget to call us. Tell us how you settle in, okay?” she said as she pulled away, looking me up and down with tears forming in her eyes.

“Mom, I’m going to be fine. We do this every year, remember? I survive every time.”

I smiled at her, reassuring her that I really was okay.

“I want you to thrive, honey,” she cooed, tussling my hair, the brown curls on my head a mess as always.

I pushed her away, my book under my arm, and grabbed my suitcase and backpack. “I’ll do my best.”

I gave one last wave to my parents before heading inside with all of the other students.

I ran through the possibilities of my final year in my head, trying to stay positive. Maybe my dad was right; maybe I’d make a friend this year.

“Hey, dork,” a voice said behind me, after which my book was slapped out of my arm and onto the stairs.

I leaned over to pick it up, peering back at a guy who was a consistent tormenter of mine: Bruce Jenson. He was the investment club president, and had made it his personal mission to remind me that I was poorer than he was.

Lucky for me, his blond hair was thinning at the age of eighteen.

“Nice glasses, freak. Let’s see how long they last,” he threatened, but I just tried to hide a smile. He’d be bald like his father in a few years.

Him and his buddies high-fived, celebrating the low-grade insult. I moved on.

I made my way to my new dorm room on the top floor, adjusting my glasses as I unlocked it, hoping that they wouldn’t attract more unwanted attention.

They’re just jealous, I told myself. They probably don’t even know how to read at this grade level.

When I stepped inside, my new roommate was already there, back turned to me, as he looked out the window to the grounds below.

“Hey, I’m Jack,” I called out.

The tall boy turned to face me, his brown eyes looking tired and startled, as if he hadn’t heard me walk in. He must’ve been daydreaming. I was prone to daydreaming, too; it had caused me to retake calculus my second year.

I stuck out my hand. “Nice to meet you.”

He looked me up and down before taking my hand. His fingers were long, and his hand was soft.

“Adam,” he said in return, and we locked eyes.

His lashes were long and pretty. That was the first thing I noticed before his eyes flickered down to my hand—he turned it just a touch, saying nothing about my green fingernail polish, but clearly noticing it.

When we released, I smiled nervously, then took in the room around me, spinning in a slow circle.

It was surprisingly spacious; we both got our own wardrobes, desks, and enough space in between our beds to move around a bit. It looked like he’d already brought his own rug, the dark brown making the area feel cozy. I kicked off my shoes before stepping on it—rugs were expensive.

“Wow, this is nice!” I exclaimed, wiggling my toes in my socks. I could already picture myself studying on the floor.

Adam shot me a look I couldn’t discern, but still didn’t say anything.

There was a mini-fridge under the bed, and I was grateful that it was already lofted, because it’d taken me hours to figure out how to loft mine in the past. I wasn’t exactly buff.

It seemed like Adam had already picked which side of the room was his, and had put up some music posters on the walls above his bed of bands I didn’t recognize. The bed was made with plaid sheets and a dark green comforter. A reptile tank sat on his desk, too, but I couldn’t see the creature inside.

“You have a pet?” I asked, my curiosity taking over. I knew pets were only allowed under specific circumstances—those circumstances being how much money you had.

“Yeah. He’s hiding,” was all Adam said.

It took everything in me not to ask what it was. I was sure I’d find out in time; I’d learned not to push people when they didn’t want to talk.

The other desk in the room laid empty, waiting for me to fill it with chaos. I took the right side, plopping my book and backpack down on my bed.

“What book are you reading?” Adam suddenly asked, and I turned to him.

His eyes were intense, the overhead light making those brown irises have a touch of gold. He was wearing a black name-brand hoodie and simple black jeans. He came off as broody, but I made a mental note that maybe he was just as nervous as I was to be back at school.

“Oh! It’s about a boy who finds a dragon and realizes he can wield magic,” I answered. “It’s really neat, if you want to borrow it when I’m done.”

I held out the book so he could look at the cover. My purple bookmark was sticking out near the end of the book, the flower on its tip bent from that fall on the stairs.

Adam took it cautiously in his hands and turned it over to read the back, saying nothing. This was already a step up from my last roommate—I’d take silence over stolen items any day.

He touched the bent flower, trying to straighten it out. “I’m not usually into fantasy,” he said, “but it sounds interesting. Let me know when you finish it.”

He handed it back to me, where our hands touched again, if only briefly. A static shock of electricity caused me to pull back.

“Sure,” I said, then turned back to my bed, unzipping my suitcase. There wasn’t much to unpack, but making my bed was a start.

Instead of heading out of the room like all of my past roommates had, Adam sat down on his bed across from me, his head towards the window. I caught his eyes just once as they curiously watched me unpack, but he looked away immediately. He must not be the social type.

“Do you like to read other genres?” I threw out a question, trying not to seem too eager for a new friend.

“I guess I’m into mystery. I like to figure things out as I go.”

His answer surprised me. I’d taken him as a horror guy, if I was being honest. I was just impressed that he read at all.

I took a step back from my brightly-colored sheets and compared our sides of the room so far.

It was like night and day. Literally.

I didn’t want to ruin his vibe, though, so I avoided my nightstand that sat in between our beds under the window. I hoped to put a plant there in the future.

“What did you say your last name was?” Adam asked, and I looked at him over my shoulder as I began hanging up string lights. The overhead light was a huge no for me, and it would not be staying on if I could help it.

“Uh, I didn’t, but it’s Peck. Nothing special around here, but it’s who I am,” I said matter-of-factly.

Adam seemed to tense up suddenly. His posture shifted from relaxed to stiff.

I tried not to notice, plugging in the lights and facing him again.

I saw that he had dark hair that laid much neater than mine, and a touch of envy ran through me. I twirled a curl by my ear subconsciously.

“What’s yours?” I asked.

“Um, Pierre. Adam Pierre,” he said, looking uncomfortable. Did he need to use the bathroom?

“Cool. Never heard of that one before.” I smiled at him, trying to make him less uncomfortable. I hope he didn’t feel like he needed to stay with me to unpack if he didn’t want to.

“Yeah. It’s, uh, French.” His eyes darted around the room, and then he got off the bed and adjusted the strings on his hoodie. “Look, I don’t know what your other roommates were like, but if you stay away from me and leave me alone, we’ll get along fine.”

The hope that I’d had in our earlier conversation diminished in my chest.

I felt like a deflated balloon. Why had I thought this year would be any different?

“Oh. Okay,” I said, trying not to let my disappointment show. “Sounds good.”

He stared at the floor for a bit before heading out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

I traced the dragon on the cover of my book with my fingers, remembering how it felt to shake his hand.

Maybe I came off too strong?

But there was still time to make new friends. It was only the first day, after all.